Bangladesh, India and Pakistan: International Relations and Regional Tensions in South Asia

247 Pages·2000·1.807 MB·English

by  Kathryn Jacques (auth.)

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Bangladesh, India
and Pakistan
International Relations and
Regional Tensions in South Asia
Kathryn Jacques
School of Classics, History and Religion
University of New England, Armidale
New South Wales
Australia
First published in Great Britain 2000 by
MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and London
Companies and representatives throughout the world
Acatalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-349-41125-2 ISBN 978-0-333-98248-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780333982488
First published in the United States of America 2000 by
ST. MARTIN’S PRESS, INC.,
Scholarly and Reference Division,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010
ISBN 978-0-312-22386-1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jacques, Kathryn, 1957–
Bangladesh, India and Pakistan : international relations and
regional tensions in South Asia / Kathryn Jacques.
p. cm. — (International political economy series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-312-22386-1 (cloth)
1. Bangladesh—Foreign relations—India. 2. India—Foreign
relations—Bangladesh. 3. Bangladesh—Foreign relations—Pakistan.
4. Pakistan—Foreign relations—Bangladesh. 5. South Asia—Politics
and government. I. Title. II.Series.
DS394.73.I4J33 1999
327.5491054—dc21 99–33849
CIP
©Kathryn Jacques 2000
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2000 978-0-333-74824-4
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made
without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written
permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright
Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1P0LP.
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to
criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with
the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained
forest sources.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00
Contents
List of Maps, Figures and Tables vi
Chronology vii
Preface and Acknowledgements ix
List of Abbreviations x
Part I Overview 1
1 General Influences on Bangladesh's Foreign Policy 3
Part II Regional Influences on Bangladesh–India
Relations, 1975–90 25
2 1975–81: Indo–Pakistani Rivalry and Indian Party Politics 27
3 1982–4: A New Beginning or the Darkest Hour? 57
4 1985–90: The ‘New Era’ of Regional Amity and Cooperation 79
Part III Domestic Influences on Bangladesh–India
Relations, 1975–90 97
5 1975–81: Military Ascendancy in Bangladesh 99
6 1982–90: Political Manoeuvres and Ethnic Violence 123
Part IV Bangladesh–Pakistan Relations, 1975–90 143
7 1975–81: Catalysts and Convergences of Interest 145
8 1982–90: A Maturing of Relations? 162
Conclusion 173
Notes and References 179
Bibliography 216
Index 237
v
List of Maps, Figures and Tables
Maps
1 South Asia, 1998 xi
2 Bangladesh, 1975 xii
3 Location of the Farakka Barrage 36
4 The Tin Bigha Corridor 44
5 Location of Muhuri Char 46
6 Location of New Moore Island 50
7 The Three Rivers development proposals, 1978 and 1983 65
8 The CHT 130
Figures
1 Plan of the Farakka Barrage 37
2 Bangladeshi and Indian proposals in the Haribhanga
River dispute 51
Tables
1.1 Statistical comparison between Bangladesh,
India and Pakistan, 1995 8
5.1 Bangladesh’s imports from and exports to India, 1973–81 116
6.1 Population growth in the CHT, 1950–91 133
vi
Chronology
1971
December Creation of independent Bangladesh.
1975
August 15 Assassination of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Khondakar
Mushtaque Ahmad became President.
November Short-lived insurrection led by Khalid Musharraf. Ziaur
Rahman (Zia) emerged as the key political figure in
Bangladesh.
1976
November Zia became Chief Martial Law Administrator.
1977
April 21 Zia took over Presidency of Bangladesh from A.S.M. Sayem.
(Zia kept position of CMLA and Commander in Chief of the
Armed Forces.)
May 30 Zia held a Referendum on his continuance in office.
July 5 Zia ul-Haq took over leadership of Pakistan from Zulfikar Ali
Bhutto.
November 5 Five-year agreement signed between Bangladesh and India
over the Farakka Barrage.
1978
June 3 Abdus Sattar was elected as Vice-President.
1979
February 18 Parliamentary Election gave Zia’s party 207 of 300 seats.
April 15–17 Indian Prime Minister, Morarji Desai, visited Bangladesh.
July India’s Desai Government collapsed.
Novermber 4 Armed conflict in dispute between India and Bangladesh
over the Muhuri Char border.
1980
May Zia first proposed a South Asian forum (to become the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)).
August India Foreign Minister, Narasimha Rao visited Dhaka for
talks.
vii
viii Chronology
1981
May 9 India landed troops on New Moore/South Talpatty Island.
May 30 Zia was assassinated in Chittagong.
November 15 Abdus Sattar was elected as President.
1982
March 24 Abdus Sattar was overthrown in a military coup led by
Hussain Muhammad Ershad.
October 6–8 Talks between Ershad and Indian Prime Minister, Indira
Gandhi in New Delhi.
December 6–10 14th Islamic Foreign Ministers’ Conference held in Dhaka.
1983
December 11 Ershad assumed the Presidency of Bangladesh.
1984
April Indo–Bangladesh clashes over border.
May 31 Indo–Bangladesh accord signed on sharing the Ganges.
October 31 Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi assassinated.
1985
March 21 Ershad called for a referendum to seek legitimacy.
December 7–8 First SAARC Summit held in Dhaka.
1986
May 50,000 Chakma refugees fled from the Chittagong Hill
Tracts into India’s northeast.
May 7 Parliamentary election gave Ershad’s party, the Jatiyo Dal,
a slight majority. The Awami League and allies won about
one third of the seats.
1988
March 3 Ershad’s party won 250 out of 300 seats in Parliamentary
elections.
August Severe flooding in Bangladesh.
August 17 Pakistan leader Zia ul-Haq died in a plane crash.
1990
December 12 Ershad and his wife arrested.
Preface and Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Dr Denis Wright for his invaluable assistance regarding
the content and structure of the book and for his generous encouragement
and support. I am also much indebted to Professor Peter Reeves, Associate
Professor Jim Masselos and Dr Habib Zafarullah for their perceptive and
encouraging scholarly advice.
I would also like to make special mention of Associate Professor Jack
Hobbs for his inspiring and enthusiastic assistance with all aspects of the
book, and for giving me the benefit of the different perspective of a geo-
grapher.
For his unstinting encouragement and proof-reading assistance, I offer
warm thanks to Kris Jacques.
I would also like to express my gratitude to the History Department, Uni-
versity of New England, for providing me with the facilities to assist in
undertaking my research.
Grateful acknowledgement is also made to the following for their valued
advice and encouragement:
Associate Professor Howard Brasted; Dr I. Bruce Watson; Professor Sinnappah
Arasaratnam; Professor Carl Bridge; Associate Professor Geoff Quaife; DrKim
Lawes; Nafis Ahmed; Dr Emdadul Haque; Staff of the Dixson Library, Uni-
versity of New England; Sally McFarlane; Madeleine Hyson; Corinne Buck-
land; Gloria Obbens; Trish Cluley; Elizabeth Richards; Janice Lord; Associate
Professor David Kent; Associate Professor Amarjit Kaur; Professor Alan Atkin-
son; Dr Jo Woolmington; Associate Professor Miriam Dixson; Gail Binnie;
Kev Condon; Professor Robin Jeffrey; Melva and Alf Crawley; and Mike
Roach.
KATHRYN JACQUES
ix